People Are Sharing 50 Wholesome, Adorable, And Hilarious Things Their Moms Did

Contrary to popular belief, you don't have to belong to a long line of jesters to make humor work for you and your children. Parents can sometimes use joking as a distraction or departure from the usual routine – a break from the serious side of things.

With humor, moms and dad can calm down emotional situations, encourage proper behavior and strengthen the parent-child bond. Yet, many of us do not fully appreciate its potential.

Talya Stone, a former public relations specialist turned blogger and the woman behind online journals Motherhood: The Real Deal and 40 Now What, told Bored Panda that allowing yourself to switch off and not make a big deal out of everything can be a real gamechanger.

"Life is so stressful, as can parenting be and humor is a powerful way of diffusing every situation in particular when your kids are driving you nuts and acting out."

"The moment I learned not to take everything so seriously (or myself so seriously), I instantly became a better parent," Talya Stone said.

Susan Newman, Ph.D., who is a social psychologist researching and writing about parenting concerns, family dynamics and trends, agrees. She thinks even though parental anger may seem like the right response when your child misbehaves, it runs the risk of putting a wedge in your relationship.

"Consider a thoughtful, humorous exchange: laughter or a joke, but one not made at your child’s expense in a way that demeans him," Newman suggested in U.S. News. "Sarcasm and put-downs work against tightening your parent-child bond. Let's say you send your child to his room or take your daughter's cellphone away for two weeks. You are ultimately pushing a child away who already feels miserable because he broke a rule or your favorite bowl (or because he got caught). She's stressed by the transgression that curtailed her privileges and may begin to harbor resentment toward her restricting parent."

Of course, that doesn't mean that humor is always the best answer. "Anything that puts your child in physical danger or seems to put his academic or social standing at risk calls for a serious chat or imposing restrictions," Newman highlighted.

But with that being said, in many instances, a lighter approach reduces both the parent's and the child's stress. So why not make use of it?

"It can also keep a situation from escalating and reduce a child's feelings of regret or remorse over having done something inappropriate. Most importantly, humor underscores that you love your child in spite of the immediate misstep."

Rod A. Martin, one of the premier researchers on the topic, is certain that humor is important for both emotional well-being and relationships.

In his book, 'The Psychology of Humor: An Integrative Approach,' Martin points out, "Besides boosting positive emotions and counteracting negative moods like depression and anxiety, humor is thought to be a valuable mechanism for coping with stressful life events and an important social skill for initiating, maintaining and enhancing satisfying interpersonal relationships."

For parents who are infuriated by what their child has done, summoning humor in that moment can be hard, but Newman thinks it's worth a shot to make something out of an already unpleasant situation. The social psychologist invites moms and dads to imagine these situations:

• Your toddler throws ketchup at your beige curtains – a direct hit before company arrives in 15 minutes for dinner.
• Your teenager, a new driver, crumples the fender backing out of a parking space when he was told not to take the car to the mall.
• Your 7-year-old tries on every one of your lipsticks, breaking most of them in half.
• Your child uses your favorite handsaw on a mystery, gooey surface, and the saw is now only suitable for collecting dust or the trash.
• You warn the kids that nothing good could come from playing ball in the house. Two minutes later, they crack the living room window.

"None of the [before mentioned points are] particularly funny in the heat of the moment," Newman said. "As you attempt to control your displeasure and decide what to do, consider a reaction that's different from your usual approach. For instance, take the line, 'nothing good can come of that,' as a family mantra, an inside joke, and call it up when you see trouble brewing next time."

"Chances are good that your kids will laugh and start using it themselves (or with their siblings). They may even think twice about having a food fight or using your things without asking, and the line will be one more touching point between you. Alternatively, you can jump up and down or lie on the floor (not speaking) to 'say' without words, 'Stop what you’re doing right now!' And the children will think their parent acting ridiculously is quite entertaining."

If you want to give it a go, Newman suggests these silly approaches:

• Act silly. Walk backward or abruptly stop speaking as a signal that you don't approve of whatever might be going on at the moment. Your children will laugh at you once they understand your action means you are not happy with the current behavior.
• Talk to your child in pig Latin. Or ask her to repeat back to you something you said in the language she’s studying in school or in pig Latin.
• Swoop in. Pretend you’re an angel or part of a cleanup crew (if a mess has been created) to diffuse the situation and get help with cleanup.

• Get emotional, but not really. Make believe you are crying or sad, or do a dance and give it a name: “The Broken Vase Dance” or the “Not Going to Bed Dance.”
• Make up a jingle. Use it when your child might be acting unsuitably or is about to break one of your rules, and repeat it often. For example, bust out a tune when you see your daughter is about to go over her allotted nightly screen time. Or, sing when your son is about to touch an object he shouldn’t.
• Laugh at yourself. Do this when you make a mistake or do something boneheaded.